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Loud bangs heard on Saturday in the center of Baghdad were artillery being fired to celebrate the formation of the new government, a security source told AFP.

The three blasts, heard by an AFP reporter, marked the establishment of a government under newly selected Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

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Following the first bangs, a security spokesperson warned that there would be more artillery fire to celebrate Zaidi’s assumption of office.

Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday led by Zaidi, who took office after months of deadlock and mounting US pressure.

Zaidi’s government should include 23 ministers, but its line-up remains incomplete as key political parties continue to negotiate several portfolios.

Iraq has long walked a tightrope between the competing influences of its allies, neighboring Iran and the United States.

From the outset, Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war, ignited by a joint Israeli-US attack on Iran on February 28.

During the war, explosions were frequently heard in Baghdad, largely caused by drone and rocket attacks launched by Tehran-backed groups on the US embassy in the fortified Green Zone.

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